System and method for adjusting the spring torque of a lock chassis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9212506-B2
Application number	US-201213414808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2012
Priority date	Mar 8, 2012
Publication date	Dec 15, 2015
Grant date	Dec 15, 2015

Abstract

A latch assembly configured to attach to a door includes one of a knob and a lever. The latch assembly further includes a latch extending from the door. A spindle is rotatable from a first position to a second position to move the latch from an extended position to a retracted position. A first biasing member is selectively operable to bias the spindle toward the first position. A second biasing member is selectively operable to bias the spindle toward the first position. An actuator is movable between a knob position in which only one of the first biasing member and the second biasing member biases the spindle toward the first position and a lever position in which both the first biasing member and the second biasing member cooperate to bias the spindle toward the first position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A latch assembly configured to attach to a door having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a door axis therebetween, the latch assembly comprising:
one of a knob and a lever on the first surface extending along the door axis in a direction away from the second surface;
a latch extending from the door;
a spindle rotatable from a first position to a second position to move the latch from an extended position to a retracted position;
a first biasing member selectively operable to bias the spindle toward the first position;
a second biasing member selectively operable to bias the spindle toward the first position;
an actuator movable between a knob position in which only one of the first biasing member and the second biasing member biases the spindle toward the first position and a lever position in which both the first biasing member and the second biasing member cooperate to bias the spindle toward the first position and
an adjustment member operable to move the actuator between the knob position and the lever position, wherein the adjustment member is disposed outside of the door along the door axis on a side of the first surface opposite the second surface.

2. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spindle is rotatable from the first position to a third position to move the latch from the extended position to the refracted position, and wherein the second position is clockwise of the first position and the third position is counterclockwise of the first position.

3. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first biasing member is a first spring and the second biasing member is a second spring.

4. The latch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first spring and the second spring have equal spring constants.

5. The latch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first spring is a compression spring and the second spring is a compression spring.

6. The latch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first spring is a compression spring and the second spring is a torsion spring.

7. The latch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first spring is a torsion spring and the second spring is a torsion spring.

8. A latch assembly configured to attach to a door, the latch assembly comprising:
a latch extending from the door;
a housing coupled to the door and having an aperture defining a central axis therethrough;
a spindle received and configured to rotate within the aperture and to extend and retract the latch;
first and second biasing springs contained within the housing;
an actuator selectively movable to an operable position in which rotation of the spindle deflects the first and second biasing spring, and an inoperable position in which rotation of the spindle deflects only the first biasing spring; and
wherein the first and second biasing springs each have a first and second end, and wherein in the operable position, the actuator is centered between one of the first end and the second end of the first biasing spring and one of the first end and second end of the second biasing spring.

9. The latch assembly of claim 8 , wherein the spindle is rotatable from a first position to a second position to extend and retract the latch and rotatable from the first position to a third position to extend and retract the latch, and wherein the second position is clockwise of the first position and the third position is counterclockwise of the first position.

10. The latch assembly of claim 8 , further including an adjustment member configured to move the actuator between the operable position and the inoperable position.

11. The latch assembly of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment member is rotatable within the housing.

12. The latch assembly of claim 8 , wherein the actuator is configured to translate axially from the operable position to the inoperable position.

13. The latch assembly of claim 12 , wherein the actuator is configured to translate axially from the operable position to the inoperable position in response to rotation of an adjustment member.

14. A latch assembly configured to attach to a door, the latch assembly comprising:
a spindle rotatable about a central axis to move a latch from an extended position to a retracted position in the door;
an annular plate fixed with respect to the door and including a slot, a plate face, and a plate projection extending from the plate face;
a retainer member including a retainer face, a first retainer protrusion extending from the retainer face, and a second retainer protrusion extending from the retainer face, the retainer member coupled to the spindle and rotatable about the central axis;
a first spring disposed between the plate face of the annular plate and the retainer face of the retainer member;
a second spring disposed between the plate face of the annular plate and the retainer face of the retainer member, wherein the first spring and the second spring are movable with the plate projection, the first retainer protrusion, and the second retainer protrusion; and
an actuator selectively movable between a retracted position and an extended position through the slot to place the first spring and the second spring into a mechanically parallel relationship.

15. The latch assembly of claim 14 , wherein the spindle is rotatable from a first position to a second position to move the latch from the extended position to the retracted position and rotatable from the first position to a third position to extend and retract the latch, and wherein the second position is clockwise of the first position and the third position is counterclockwise of the first position.

16. The latch assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first spring and the second spring have equal spring constants.

17. The latch assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first spring is a compression spring and the second spring is a compression spring.

18. The latch assembly of claim 14 , further including an adjustment member configured to move the actuator between the retracted position and the extended position.

Assignees

• Murphy Nathanael S
• Collins Dale M
• Barker Kenton H
• Roth Brian K
• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Murphy Nathanael S
• Collins Dale M
• Barker Kenton H
• Roth Brian K

Classifications

• Y10T292/108

  Lever · CPC title

• E05B2015/0448

  Units of springs; Two or more springs working together · CPC title

• Y10T292/1059

  Lever · CPC title

• E05B55/005 Primary

  Cylindrical or tubular locks · CPC title

• E05B2015/0431

  Modifying spring characteristic or tension (E05B2015/0441 takes precedence) · CPC title